Hey Mom I found a sedimentary rock!

Where does that title come from? A high school/early college age girl down at Volcanoes National Park. That’s right in the home of Pele where there is nothing but basalt for miles she “found a sedimentary rock”. I tried not to laugh until I was out of earshot!

Allow me to back up. When I started work at my super awesome amazing job, there was another new employee. He is from Montana and had never been to Hawaii! So this weekend we went to see the volcano! We did not do the tourist thing and get up ass early, nope we got a leisurely start. We stopped to say hi to the south point zebra, who lives with some long horns and buffalo!

Zebra

Long Horns

Buffalo

Then we continued around the island. We stopped at my all time favorite bakery the Punalu’u Bakery (also the most southern Bakery in the US!). When we got to volcanoes national park we went to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater overlook (Halemaʻumaʻu is the traditional home of Pele and currently has a lava lake in another smaller crater within it and is degassing. It can be seen in the webcam).

After wandering around the Jagger museum there for a bit we hit the road again to go down to the coast. On the way we stopped at the Steam Vents and sulfur bank and walked around a bit.

steam vent

Sulfur deposits

Next we drove down off the Pali to the coast.
Older flows coming down the Pali

There is a sea arch at the coast that I can never remember the name, but the waves were crashing and it was stunning!


We of course walked out to the road closed sign in the lava.


And I looked at some cool textures in the old flows.


Incidentally when I came to Hawaii when I was in high school this area was the surface flow area. It is fun to walk out on it now and remember how fresh it was when I first came to Hawaii. Now there are plants growing in it!

End of Part 1
I want to look some information up about the other stops we made before I write them up! I hope you enjoy the photos!

It can’t all be perfect right?

My job is amazing, the place I live is not perfect but a wonderful location. So there has to be at least one downside right? Well funny you should ask, because I am having one hell of a time getting my car registered! Remember how I shipped it over?

Well it showed up right before the 4^th of July weekend. The week of 4^th of July was spent getting a mailing address (P.O. Box) and bank account, and getting married. That done the following Monday (car on island (CoI) 12 days) I called to get insurance set up. That was a Monday. Because I have been in Alaska, and apparently it takes 72 hours to get a driving record from Alaska I wasn’t cleared to get my safety check (requires local insurance) until Wednesday [CoI 14]. The place that was recommended by the insurance place did not have time on Wednesday so I took my car in Thursday for the safety check. Keep in mind I work 8-5 so all of this has to be done during my lunch break, as I have no days off until I have worked for 3 months. So Thursday I get my safety check done, and we have visiting scientists leaving in the on afternoon Friday so we worked through lunch.

Monday morning [CoI 19] I do one final check of papers before heading to the DMV and discover I don’t have my title with me. No big problem right? I bet I left it in my lock box at the condo and forgot to take it out. So that night at home I go through my papers thinking “Odd it should be around here somewhere…” then I start to panic. I have to register my car within 30 days of it being on island (so says all the paperwork). I don’t have my title, and I don’t know where it is. It could be in Alaska (because I forgot it) or Seattle (if I never got it from my parents). I call my husband (who is back in Alaska) and it’s not there, so I call my brother (since my parents are in England and I haven’t heard from there in a week). It is in Seattle. I get him to scan it and a friend to mail it (won’t be here until Thursday). Tuesday I call the DMV and explain the situation. The lady who answers the phone says its no problem they just wont reissue the Hawaii title until I bring the original in. So thinking there is no problem off I go to the DMV. The lady at the counter takes one look at my papers and refuses to issue a registration. Why? For some reason because my WA registration still says “lien on record” they can’t register my car? Oh and now I need my Dads signature since his name is also on the car. I ask “what about the 30 day thing?” and she tells me “Oh don’t worry about it!”. My parents get back from England on the 28^th. It is now Sunday the 24^th [CoI 25] I have the title but don’t have my Dad’s signature.

At least I tried right? I leave on the 3^rd for a week and my car will still have WA plates. So that has been my 2 week car adventure that is still not done. Oh and I need to get a HI drivers license. I hate taking those tests.

[19] Trying to turn beach treasures into jewelry

I took a basic wire working class today, and came home and got to work on some of my shells... getting the loops to stay in the shells is a challenge I am not sure I have mastered yet! But I had fun!

Strange findings: the "wild cats" of A-bay

Yesterday I went to A-bay (Anaeho'omalu) to read, swim, and just hang out.
The kite surfers were out again... I think at least one of these guys I have met!


So while I was walking around behind the fish ponds to get a good view for a nice sunset photo (like this)

There were some birds hanging out

and some bread fruit (my husband [I like saying that] informs me this might be something else...)


But that is not what I wanted to talk about. What I wanted to talk about is the cats.
Yes there are cats.
I came around a corner and saw a cat just hanging out, and then saw this sign.


Yes. Cats. So here are some photos!

365 Project

I have started a 365 project, or take a photo every day and post it on flickr. This project is to keep me snapping even when I am settled in.

This is the most recent photo.
You can check out the whole set here

I hope you enjoy the photos!

My wonderful Graduation Present

I have the most wonderfully talented family! This gift came from one of my Aunts!

I love love love it!

Big Island wedding!

We got hitched! Don't worry we are still going to have a big party! Now onto the photos, that's what you want right?

July 3, 2011

We started the day doing something very important! We found the used book store! We found an amazing used book store in the new industrial area Kona Bay Books! It has an awesomely huge sci-fi section! Score!

After this amazing find we went for a drive. We drove north, all the way to Hawi! We then drove the crest of the oldest volcano on the island. It was a gorgeous drive that ended in Waimea. We then puttered around Waimea and got some lunch and drove towards the saddle road.

We went to Mauna Kea with the expressed purpose of seeing the stars! When you live in Fairbanks, you start to associate the stars with cold. It was wonderful to stand outside and watch the sun set and not be freezing my ass off. And then the stars came out! The visitor center had telescopes set up and they had one fixed on Saturn! I had never seen Saturn from a telescope before and when that little yellow circle with rings come into view it took my breath away!

A little lore:

The star Arcturus has special meaning in Hawaii! Hōkūleʻa is the Hawaiian name. It means star of gladness or joy. This star reaches its zenith over the Hawaiian islands and was used for navigation.

some photos: more on flickr

June 30th through July 2

June 30th

This morning I got a P.O. box. I know that sounds lame, but it’s a big deal. I have a mailing address, and now can get the rest of my paper work taken care of! Including a local bank account.

Enough of the boring stuff! Then we headed south! A very amazing friend of mine sent me to Hawaii with a gift certificate to the Punalu’u Bakery! I love this bakery, like really love this bakery! So we headed south.

The drive started out pretty normal with a zebra!? That’s right there was a zebra on the side of the road!

We stopped at a look out to get a photo of South Point where we got engaged, and then headed to the yummy baked goods!

There were little birds all over the place! It was a magical day!

July 1

The next day we went beach exploring! First we hiked out to an amazing beach, Pueo bay!

And next we explored Kiholo bay

And next we went to Kekaha Kai state park.

July 2

SUNBURNED! That’s what we are! We decided to head up into the hills and into the cloud forest. It was again, amazing. But we are burned and painful.

we did see some cool flowers through: this is wild ginger!

Hawaii days 1 and 2

June 28th and June 29th

So I made it! I have wireless internet again and the birds are singing! But lets start from the beginning shall we?

We left Eastern Washington ass early in the morning. I am talking 6am flight, and then had to take a 5hr flight to Hawaii. I don’t really like long flights but it was ok. When we landed, we collected the bags, called my new boss, and headed off to the car rental place. My honey went inside to get the car sorted out, and I sat outside and chatted with my new boss. Once we got the car we parted ways and we were off to explore our new home!

The condo. Not what I expected, but hey, it’s a place, it’s furnished, and it was ready when I got here. I am still in the process of getting everything unpacked and then there should be some photos. Soon, I promise! Well first thing was first we went to COSTCO! Oh the glorious Costco! By the time we got back (haven eaten there), and started to get unpacked it was dark. REALLY DARK. Immediately I was tired and having trouble keeping my eyes open. So we went to bed! Jet lag (and lack of light) won.

The very next day! We woke up early. The sun was not quite up yet, and the birds were singing, (we saw a gecko on the wall…), and we sat on the bed and watched the sun come up over the volcano Hualalai. After that we got down to business and drank coffee on the lanai!

We did some exploring before stopping by the office and found a cute little beach and Brian found an octopus! Oh and did I mention there are turtles out front of our place? That was an excellent way to start the day!

While we were on the way to the office, my phone range and my own car was ready to be picked up! So after stopping by the office and seeing some truly bad ass videos

March 5th through 7th both the Halema'uma'u lava lake and the Pu'u O'o vent drained!
Pu'u O'o


Halema'uma'u

We drove the saddle road over to Hilo to get my baby car! Picked it up and took a new road the belt hwy back to Kona. On the way we stopped at Laupahoehoe Point Tsunami memorial.

The tsunami that took out the village at Laupahoehoe Point was generated from a Magnitude 8.1 in the Aleutians, at Unimak Island on 1946 Apr 01 12:28:56.0 UTC. This earthquake caused only minor damage to buildings on Unimak Island, but it generated a tsunami that devasted the lighthouse and swept away its five occupants. The height of the wave at the lighthouse was estimated at about 35 meters. Tsunami damage also occurred at Dutch Harbor and Ikatan Island in the Aleutian Islands, on the west coasts of North and South America, and in Hawaii. At Hilo, Hawaii, the tsunami took 159 lives. (USGS Earthquake site)

It was a beautiful drive and it feels more real to have my car here!